Concentrationhttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/concentration
en-usFri, 09 Dec 2016 23:46:21 -0500Fri, 09 Dec 2016 23:46:21 -0500The latest news on Concentration from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-should-focus-on-mastering-one-thing-at-a-time-according-to-science-2016-7Why you should focus on mastering one thing at a time, according to sciencehttp://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-should-focus-on-mastering-one-thing-at-a-time-according-to-science-2016-7
Wed, 20 Jul 2016 10:51:00 -0400James Clear
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/578e65504321f122008b949f-1024/an elderly man swims.jpg" alt="An elderly man swims" data-mce-source="Al Bello/Getty Images" /></p><p>Many people, myself included, have multiple areas of life they would like to improve.</p>
<p>For example, I would like to reach more people with my writing, to lift heavier weights at the gym, and to start practicing mindfulness more consistently.</p>
<p>Those are just a few of the goals I find desirable and you probably have a long list yourself.</p>
<p>The problem is, even if we are committed to working hard on our goals, our natural tendency is to revert back to our old habits at some point. Making a permanent lifestyle change is really difficult.</p>
<p>Recently, I&rsquo;ve come across a few research studies that (just maybe) will make these difficult lifestyle changes a little bit easier. As you&rsquo;ll see, however, the approach to mastering many areas of life is somewhat counterintuitive.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/one-of-the-biggest-status-symbols-in-the-us-2016-7" >Our grandparents wouldn't understand one of the biggest status symbols in the US today</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>DON'T MISS:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/birchbox-office-tour-2016-7" >Take a tour of the New York City subscription startup where you'll find swings, sneakers, and gnomes</a></strong></p>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/578ea4bd4321f1f5018b959c-400-300/.jpg" alt="" />
<p><h2>Too many good intentions</h2>
<p>If you want to master multiple habits and stick to them for good, then you need to figure out how to be consistent. How can you do that?</p>
<p>Well, here is one of the most robust findings from psychology research on how to actually follow through on your goals:</p>
<p>Research has shown that you are 2x to 3x more likely to stick with your habits if you make a specific plan for when, where, and how you will perform the behavior. For example, in one study scientists asked people to fill out this sentence: "During the next week, I will partake in at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on [DAY] at [TIME OF DAY] at/in [PLACE]."</p>
<p>Researchers found that people who filled out this sentence were <a href="http://jamesclear.com/implementation-intentions">2x to 3x more likely to actually exercise</a> compared to a control group who did not make plans for their future behavior. Psychologists call these specific plans "implementation intentions" because they state when, where, and how you intend to implement a particular behavior.</p>
<p>This finding is well proven and has been repeated in hundreds studies across a broad range of areas. For example, implementation intentions have been found to increase the odds that people will start exercising, begin recycling, stick with studying, and even stop smoking.</p>
<p>However (and this is crucial to understand) follow-up research has discovered <strong>implementation intentions only work when you focus on one goal at a time. </strong></p>
<p>In fact, researchers found that people who tried to accomplish multiple goals were less committed and less likely to succeed than those who focused on a single goal. <a name="note-1-18694" href="http://jamesclear.com/master-one-thing#" rel="footnote" data-footnote-number="1" data-footnote-identifier="1" data-footnote-content="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ejcr.org/Curations-PDFs/Curations6/Dalton_Spiller.pdf&quot;&gt;&ldquo;Too Much of a Good Thing: The Benefits of Implementation Intentions Depend on the Number of Goals&rdquo;&lt;/a&gt; by Amy N. Dalton and Stephen A. Spiller (2012). Journal of Consumer Research.&lt;/p&gt;"><span data-footnote-number="1"></span></a></p>
<p>This is important, so let me repeat: developing a specific plan for when, where, and how you will stick to a new habit will dramatically increase the odds that you will actually follow through, but only if you focus on a single goal.</p></p>
<br/><br/><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/578ea4c64321f16b018b967b-400-300/.jpg" alt="" />
<p><h2>What happens when you focus on one thing</h2>
<p>Here is another science-based reason to focus on one habit at a time:</p>
<p>When you begin practicing a new habit it requires a lot of conscious effort to remember to do it. After awhile, however, the pattern of behavior becomes easier. Eventually, your new habit becomes a normal routine and the process is more or less mindless and automatic.</p>
<p>Researchers have a fancy term for this process called "automaticity." Automaticity is the ability to perform a behavior without thinking about each step, which allows the pattern to become automatic and habitual.</p>
<p>But here&rsquo;s the thing: automaticity only occurs as the result of lots of repetition and practice. <a href="http://jamesclear.com/repetitions">The more reps you put in</a>, the more automatic a behavior becomes.</p></p>
<br/><br/><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/578ea4cc4321f1c62f8b8ccb-400-300/.jpg" alt="" />
<p><h2>Change your life without changing your entire life</h2>
<p>Alright, let&rsquo;s review what I have suggested to you so far and figure out some practical takeaways.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>1. You are 2x to 3x more likely to follow through with a habit if you make a specific plan for when, where, and how you are going to implement it.</strong> This is known as an implementation intention.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>2. You should focus entirely on one habit.</strong> Research has found that implementation intentions do not work if you try to improve multiple habits at the same time.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>3. Research has shown that any given habit becomes more automatic with more practice.</strong> On average, it takes at least two months for new habits to become automatic behaviors.</span></p>
<p>This brings us to the punchline of this article &hellip;</p>
<p>The counterintuitive insight from all of this research is that the best way to change your entire life is by not changing your entire life. Instead, it is best to focus on one specific habit, work on it until you master it, and make it an automatic part of your daily life. Then, repeat the process for the next habit. <a name="note-3-18694" href="http://jamesclear.com/master-one-thing#" rel="footnote" data-footnote-number="3" data-footnote-identifier="3" data-footnote-content="&lt;p&gt;You might be thinking, &ldquo;But you don&rsquo;t understand, I have so many things I need to change in my life.&rdquo; Consider this: solving deep life issues often requires some space to sit, think, and figure out a better solution. If you feel like you&rsquo;re drowning and can barely keep your head above water, then you will almost never find the time to figure out a better approach. By picking one habit and mastering it you not only make progress, but also free up the mental space you need to think through deeper issues. Sometimes you need a good tactic so you can make enough room to figure out a better strategy.&lt;/p&gt;"><span data-footnote-number="3"></span><span></span><span></span></a></p>
<p>The way to master more things in the long-run is to simply focus on one thing right now.</p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="/category/features">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/montenegro-island-is-transforming-into-a-luxury-resort-2016-3A former Mussolini-run concentration camp is transforming into a luxury resorthttp://www.businessinsider.com/montenegro-island-is-transforming-into-a-luxury-resort-2016-3
Fri, 25 Mar 2016 08:52:19 -0400Chris Weller
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/56f534a0dd08954e5a8b46c0-2204-848/mamula _now.jpg" alt="Mamula fort now" data-mce-source="Lustica Bay" /></p><p>On May 30, 1942 &mdash; in the throes of World War II &mdash; a tiny island adrift in the Adriatic Sea was transformed. What began as a humble fort built 100 years earlier turned into a concentration camp run by dictator Benito Mussolini, where prisoners were held captive and tortured.</p>
<p>That fort, known as Fort Mamula in honor of its 1853 creator, General Lazar Mamula, is now seeing a second transformation.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Earlier this January, real-estate company Orascom Development Holding <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/former-concentration-camp-being-turned-into-luxury-resort-with-party-ambience-in-montenegro-a6816671.html">announced</a>&nbsp;plans to invest $16.8 million to turn Mamula into a "world-class boutique hotel and spa" that will be "<span>completely eco-friendly by using renewable energy sources, and energy efficient materials."</span></p>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/56f534a0dd08954e5a8b46c1-1595-900/orascom project map 1200.jpg" alt="Orascom project map 1200" data-mce-source="Lustica Bay" />Fort Mamula is located on Lastavica island, which sits on Montenegro's northwestern coast.</p>
<p>According to University of Cambridge historian Andrew Lacey, in the early 1940s Mussolini turned Mamula into a prison death camp as part of his overall effort to control the Balkan region.</p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/56f534a0dd08954e5a8b46c2-2953-2215/fort_mamula_06.jpg" alt="Fort Mamula" data-mce-source="Wikimedia Commons" />Stories from the concentration camp are expectedly heartbreaking.</p>
<p><span>"If the baby cried, soldiers would come in and beat everyone up until there was silence," Jovanka Uljarevic, the granddaughter of a woman held in the camp, told&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/hearts-and-minds-the-battle-for-montenegro-s-mamula-fortress-12-27-2015">Balkan Insight</a><span>. "It was cold, they were starved and the overall conditions were very bad."</span></p>
<p><span>The fort was semi-abandoned in the aftermath of WWII, used by tourists looking to see a bit of history.&nbsp;I</span><span>t wasn't until earlier this year that Orascom entered the picture, provoking a divided response from local residents, politicians, and families of those who were kept in the camp. </span></p>
<p><span>Orascom has said it will create a specific remembrance room to honor those who died during WWII, while Former United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Gali <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/montenegro-concentration-camp-island-turning-resort-article-1.2497849">once said</a> in a letter to the Montenegrin parliament that he's surprised that "<span>the only solution for preserving and using the fort is a mere business arrangement and privatisation agreement."</span></span></p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/56b0d386dd0895437c8b464e-2198-864/mamula - after.jpg" alt="Mamula after" data-mce-source="Orascom" />While the island will no doubt entertain &mdash; it'll boast a DJ booth, beach club, swimming pools, restaurant, and spa &mdash;&nbsp;Lacey says he hopes Orascom will indeed erect&nbsp;some form of a memorial, for the sake of the island's history.</p>
<p>Although, he does point to the dilemma places like Mamula face.</p>
<p>"Do you knock it down and pretend it never happened, or do you acknowledge what happened and move on?" he says. "We've got to acknowledge where we come from and what this once was. I think some people might actually be interested in the history of the place."</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/montenegro-island-is-transforming-into-a-luxury-resort-2016-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/treasure-hunters-gold-lost-nazi-train-poland-world-war-2-2015-8">A mysterious lost Nazi train — supposedly filled with gold — may have been found</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stay-focused-2015-1115 ways to stay focused all day, according to scientistshttp://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stay-focused-2015-11
Sat, 05 Mar 2016 17:00:00 -0500Jessica Orwig and Lydia Ramsey
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/563d246f9dd7cc16008c81ca-800-600/america-free-throws.jpg" alt="america free throws" data-mce-source="CBS" /></p><p>What was I doing again?</p>
<p>We've all had days where we can't seem to focus, asking that question too many times to count. For some of us, those days are more common than we'd like.</p>
<p>Whether it's fatigue, distractions, lack of motivation, or something else entirely, our inability to focus digs a hole in our productivity and, therefore, can jeopardize our chances of success.</p>
<p>But you don't have to go to extremes, like the main character in "The Wolf of Wall Street" does, to get focused. There are better ways.</p>
<p>Here are 15 tips that scientists have found that enhance focus.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/diets-that-work-according-to-scientists-2015-9" >15 healthy eating habits that work, according to scientists</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>DON'T MISS:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-sleep-better-2015-10" >12 healthy habits to get a better night's sleep, according to scientists</a></strong></p>
<h3>Minimize multitasking.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52f381a56da811903a157016-400-300/minimize-multitasking.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>Multitaskers might seem superhuman, but they pay a big price, according to a <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/106/37/15583.full?sid=c2929e08-bd00-4d4f-95c3-7b4c83c576a3">2009 Stanford study</a>. In a sample of 100 Stanford students, about half identified themselves as media multitaskers. The other half did not.</p>
<p>The test examined attention spans, memory capacity, and ability to switch from one task to the next &mdash; and the multitaskers performed more poorly on each test.</p>
<p>"They're suckers for irrelevancy. Everything distracts them," Clifford Nass, who&nbsp;was a researcher for the study, said in a Stanford&nbsp;<a href="http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/august24/multitask-research-study-082409.html">press release</a>.</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Meditate.</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/55597cb769bedd3066a5f2a0-400-300/meditate.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>If the saying "practice makes perfect" is true, then meditation is a sure way to enhance focus because it takes&nbsp;a great deal of concentration.</p>
<p>Scientific experiments agree.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/104/43/17152.full">One study</a> at the University of North Carolina, for example, revealed&nbsp;that students who meditated for just 20 minutes a day for four days performed better on certain cognitive tests.</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Exercise regularly.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5451621f69bedddf4f29e0bb-400-300/exercise-regularly.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>Exercise isn't just good for the body. It promotes brain health, too, which is important for memory capacity and concentration, according to John Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at <a href="http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/regular-exercise-releases-brain-chemicals-key-for-memory-concentration-and-mental-sharpness">Harvard Medical School</a>.</p>
<p>In particular, scientists think regular exercise may help stimulate the&nbsp;release of a&nbsp;chemical called&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain-derived_neurotrophic_factor">brain-derived neurotrophic factor</a>, which some research suggests helps rewire memory circuits to improve their functioning.</p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stay-focused-2015-11#/#establish-a-to-do-list-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/tips-to-help-you-focus-2015-12Here’s how to stay focused all day — according to scientistshttp://www.businessinsider.com/tips-to-help-you-focus-2015-12
Thu, 03 Dec 2015 12:47:00 -0500Emma Fierberg, Jessica Orwig and Lydia Ramsey
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<p>These scientific tips and tricks will help you regain focus and maintain better overall concentration in and out of the office.</p>
<p><em>Produced by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/author/emma-fierberg">Emma Fierberg</a>. <em>Original Reporting by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/author/jessica-orwig" target="_blank">Jessica Orwig</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/author/lydia-ramsey" target="_blank">Lydia Ramsey</a>. </em></em></p>
<p><strong>Follow BI Video:</strong> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BusinessInsider.Video">On Facebook</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tips-to-help-you-focus-2015-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stay-focused-2015-1115 ways to stay focused all day, according to scientistshttp://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stay-focused-2015-11
Sat, 14 Nov 2015 15:00:00 -0500Jessica Orwig and Lydia Ramsey
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/563d246f9dd7cc16008c81ca-800-600/america-free-throws.jpg" alt="america free throws" data-mce-source="CBS" /></p><p>What was I doing again?</p>
<p>We've all had days where we can't seem to focus, asking that question too many times to count. For some of us, those days are more common than we'd like.</p>
<p>Whether it's fatigue, distractions, lack of motivation, or something else entirely, our inability to focus digs a hole in our productivity and, therefore, can jeopardize our chances of success.</p>
<p>But you don't have to go to extremes, like the main character in "The Wolf of Wall Street" does, to get focused. There are better ways.</p>
<p>Here are 15 tips that scientists have found that enhance focus.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/diets-that-work-according-to-scientists-2015-9" >15 healthy eating habits that work, according to scientists</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>DON'T MISS:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-sleep-better-2015-10" >12 healthy habits to get a better night's sleep, according to scientists</a></strong></p>
<h3>Minimize multitasking.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52f381a56da811903a157016-400-300/minimize-multitasking.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>Multitaskers might seem superhuman, but they pay a big price, according to a <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/106/37/15583.full?sid=c2929e08-bd00-4d4f-95c3-7b4c83c576a3">2009 Stanford study</a>. In a sample of 100 Stanford students, about half identified themselves as media multitaskers. The other half did not.</p>
<p>The test examined attention spans, memory capacity, and ability to switch from one task to the next &mdash; and the multitaskers performed more poorly on each test.</p>
<p>"They're suckers for irrelevancy. Everything distracts them," Clifford Nass, who&nbsp;was a researcher for the study, said in a Stanford&nbsp;<a href="http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/august24/multitask-research-study-082409.html">press release</a>.</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Meditate.</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/55597cb769bedd3066a5f2a0-400-300/meditate.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>If the saying "practice makes perfect" is true, then meditation is a sure way to enhance focus because it takes&nbsp;a great deal of concentration.</p>
<p>Scientific experiments agree.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/104/43/17152.full">One study</a> at the University of North Carolina, for example, revealed&nbsp;that students who meditated for just 20 minutes a day for four days performed better on certain cognitive tests.</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Exercise regularly.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5451621f69bedddf4f29e0bb-400-300/exercise-regularly.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>Exercise isn't just good for the body. It promotes brain health, too, which is important for memory capacity and concentration, according to John Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at <a href="http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/regular-exercise-releases-brain-chemicals-key-for-memory-concentration-and-mental-sharpness">Harvard Medical School</a>.</p>
<p>In particular, scientists think regular exercise may help stimulate the&nbsp;release of a&nbsp;chemical called&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain-derived_neurotrophic_factor">brain-derived neurotrophic factor</a>, which some research suggests helps rewire memory circuits to improve their functioning.</p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stay-focused-2015-11#/#establish-a-to-do-list-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stay-focused-2015-1115 ways to stay focused all day, according to scientistshttp://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stay-focused-2015-11
Fri, 06 Nov 2015 16:00:00 -0500Jessica Orwig and Lydia Ramsey
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/563d246f9dd7cc16008c81ca-800-600/america-free-throws.jpg" alt="america free throws" data-mce-source="CBS" /></p><p>What was I doing again?</p>
<p>We've all had days where we can't seem to focus, asking that question too many times to count. For some of us, those days are more common than we'd like.</p>
<p>Whether it's fatigue, distractions, lack of motivation, or something else entirely, our inability to focus digs a hole in our productivity and, therefore, can jeopardize our chances of success.</p>
<p>But you don't have to go to extremes, like the main character in "The Wolf of Wall Street" does, to get focused. There are better ways.</p>
<p>Here are 15 tips that scientists have found that enhance focus.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/diets-that-work-according-to-scientists-2015-9" >15 healthy eating habits that work, according to scientists</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>DON'T MISS:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-sleep-better-2015-10" >12 healthy habits to get a better night's sleep, according to scientists</a></strong></p>
<h3>Minimize multitasking.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52f381a56da811903a157016-400-300/minimize-multitasking.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>Multitaskers might seem superhuman, but they pay a big price, according to a <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/106/37/15583.full?sid=c2929e08-bd00-4d4f-95c3-7b4c83c576a3">2009 Stanford study</a>. In a sample of 100 Stanford students, about half identified themselves as media multitaskers. The other half did not.</p>
<p>The test examined attention spans, memory capacity, and ability to switch from one task to the next &mdash; and the multitaskers performed more poorly on each test.</p>
<p>"They're suckers for irrelevancy. Everything distracts them," Clifford Nass, who&nbsp;was a researcher for the study, said in a Stanford&nbsp;<a href="http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/august24/multitask-research-study-082409.html">press release</a>.</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Meditate.</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/55597cb769bedd3066a5f2a0-400-300/meditate.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>If the saying "practice makes perfect" is true, then meditation is a sure way to enhance focus because it takes&nbsp;a great deal of concentration.</p>
<p>Scientific experiments agree.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/104/43/17152.full">One study</a> at the University of North Carolina, for example, revealed&nbsp;that students who meditated for just 20 minutes a day for four days performed better on certain cognitive tests.</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Exercise regularly.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5451621f69bedddf4f29e0bb-400-300/exercise-regularly.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>Exercise isn't just good for the body. It promotes brain health, too, which is important for memory capacity and concentration, according to John Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at <a href="http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/regular-exercise-releases-brain-chemicals-key-for-memory-concentration-and-mental-sharpness">Harvard Medical School</a>.</p>
<p>In particular, scientists think regular exercise may help stimulate the&nbsp;release of a&nbsp;chemical called&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain-derived_neurotrophic_factor">brain-derived neurotrophic factor</a>, which some research suggests helps rewire memory circuits to improve their functioning.</p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stay-focused-2015-11#/#establish-a-to-do-list-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-improve-focus-concentration-2015-911 easy ways to boost your concentrationhttp://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-improve-focus-concentration-2015-9
Tue, 29 Sep 2015 11:28:00 -0400Shana Lebowitz
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/560aa9cabd86ef14008bdc7c-617-463/2164397914_a43489f4e1_o.jpg" alt="goldfish" data-mce-source="flickr user helgabj" /></p><p></p>
<p>If you're struggling to complete a project report without daydreaming about lunch or to make it through a 500-word news article without checking your email, you're hardly alone.</p>
<p class="p1">According to one Microsoft <a href="http://advertising.microsoft.com/en/cl/31966/how-does-digital-affect-canadian-attention-spans">report</a>, the average human attention span was 12 seconds in the year 2000 &mdash; but it decreased to eight seconds by 2013. That's one second shorter than a goldfish's.</p>
<p class="p1">To help you improve your ability to concentrate for extended periods of time, we consulted the Quora thread, "<a href="https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-increase-my-focus">How can I increase my focus?</a>" and highlighted the best advice.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-successful-people-do-more-in-a-day-than-others-do-in-a-week-2015-6" >A psychologist explains how successful people do more in a day than others do in a week</a></strong></p>
<h3>1. Schedule downtime, when you don't have to be productive.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/560a97129dd7cc16008bdbb6-400-300/1-schedule-downtime-when-you-dont-have-to-be-productive.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">"Make sure your daily schedule involves breaks where you deliberately don't do anything productive,"&nbsp;<a href="https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-increase-my-focus/answer/Yishan-Wong">writes</a> Quora user Yishan Wong.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Science backs him up: <a href="https://hbr.org/2012/12/the-upside-of-downtime">Research</a> suggests that taking breaks &mdash; instead of plodding through your work &mdash; can restore your focus and energy when they're depleted.</span></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>2. Organize your schedule around your energy levels.</h3>
<p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">"Grab an Excel sheet and measure your energy levels for a week or so to find out when your body most focused,"&nbsp;<a href="https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-increase-my-focus/answer/Michal-Ugor">says</a> Michal Ugor.</span></p>
<p class="p3">Aim to work on tasks that require a lot of concentration during the times when you're typically highly focused. During those periods when you're recharging, Ugor suggests checking your email.</p>
<p class="p3">This strategy works even if you don't have such a flexible schedule. If you can <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/neuroscientist-on-emotions-and-productivity-2015-5">predict your energy level</a> at any given point throughout the day, you can also plan ways to boost your energy level when it's necessary.</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>3. Practice listening carefully to music.</h3>
<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/560a9c7f9dd7cc11008bdc29-400-300/3-practice-listening-carefully-to-music.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p class="p1">Most of us have tried listening to different types of background music to help us focus while we're working.</p>
<p class="p1">But Achintya Prakash <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-increase-my-focus/answer/Achintya-Prakash">recommends</a> listening to music without doing anything else:</p>
<p class="p3" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span class="s2">Listening to music helps in improving your concentration and focus, but only when you <em>really </em>listen. &hellip;</span></p>
<p class="p3" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span class="s2">A lot of people still don't have the ability to focus only on a single instrument and figure out what's happening. Try it, it adds a new dimension to the music you listen to and expands your tastes. (When you clear your mind out and let it be filled <em>only</em> with music, it's also another form of meditation, where you are essentially clearing the "clutter" of your thoughts and focusing on one thing.)</span></p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-improve-focus-concentration-2015-9#/#4-develop-an-interest-in-the-task-youre-working-on-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-dachau-ex-nazi-camp-annex-now-a-homeless-refuge-2015-9A part of this former Nazi concentration camp is now a homeless shelterhttp://www.businessinsider.com/afp-dachau-ex-nazi-camp-annex-now-a-homeless-refuge-2015-9
Tue, 22 Sep 2015 18:04:00 -0400
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/56015ee45afbd362278b4567-800/afp-dachau-ex-nazi-camp-annex-now-a-homeless-refuge.jpg" alt="View of the International Memorial museum at the former Nazi concentration camp in Dachau, southern Germany" border="0" /></p><p>An annex of the former Nazi concentration camp Dachau has been turned into a shelter for the homeless, including refugees, the mayor of the southern German town and a resident at the centre said Tuesday.</p>
<p>The town -- host to the camp which bears the chilling inscription "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Will Set You Free) on its gate -- has turned a&nbsp;building in the camp's former herb garden into a shelter.</p>
<p>It houses "about 50 people... who have lost their homes", Mayor Florian Hartmann said in a statement, without specifying whether these included any recent refugees.</p>
<p>Hartmann said his town had suffered from a severe housing shortage for some time, and authorities had to find ways of housing the homeless.</p>
<p>The building "serves as accommodation for people who cannot afford housing on the (open) market," he stressed.</p>
<p>"These are the weakest members of society. This building has been burdened by history but can now take on a useful social role."</p>
<p>The mayor would not specify whether any of the current refugee influx are among the shelter's residents.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Any asylum-seekers there are likely to have been in Germany for some time, and not part of the new arrivals.</p>
<p>One man in his forties who declined to be named said he had been in Germany "for years" and had obtained an apartment at the site after losing his home.</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/55dc4c45bd86ef17008b5a17-897-600/dachau.jpg" alt="dachau" data-mce-source="Bundesarchiv" data-mce-caption="Dachau concentration camp." /></p>
<p>"There are all kinds of people here: former refugees or not. But we were all homeless at some point," he said, declining to specify his country of origin.</p>
<p>The Nazis opened Dachau as a concentration camp for political prisoners in March 1933, just weeks after Adolf Hitler took power.</p>
<p>It was the first such site in Germany and served as a forerunner for other camps.</p>
<p>Some 43,000 people died there and more than 206,000 people were detained before they were freed by the US Army on April 29, 1945.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The iron gate to the former camp with the "Arbeit Macht Frei" inscription has had to be replaced after the original was stolen by thieves from the camp's memorial last year.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-dachau-ex-nazi-camp-annex-now-a-homeless-refuge-2015-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/easy-ways-to-improve-concentration-2015-811 easy ways to boost your willpower and concentrationhttp://www.businessinsider.com/easy-ways-to-improve-concentration-2015-8
Sat, 22 Aug 2015 15:00:00 -0400Shana Lebowitz
<p class="p1"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/55d23e8c371d2277018c04b1-2000-1500/animoto-bi-dng-img_0911.jpg" alt="animoto working hard in the office" data-mce-source="Daniel Goodman / Business Insider" /></p><p>Few things are more frustrating than knowing you need to finish a project and absolutely <em>not</em> being able to focus on it. In these moments, everything &mdash; email, Facebook, tying your shoe &mdash; seems more exciting than the task at hand.</p>
<p class="p2">Fortunately, there are dozens of ways to filter out distractions and improve your ability to concentrate for extended periods of time. To find out what some of these strategies are, we sifted through the Quora thread, "<a href="http://www.quora.com/How-do-I-improve-my-concentration-and-will-power">How do I improve my concentration and willpower?</a>" and highlighted the most practical techniques.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Some of them involve small tweaks (think changing the way you write your to-do list), while others involve a bigger commitment (like a daily meditation practice). All of them will make you more productive in both your professional and personal lives.</p>
<h3 class="p1">&nbsp;</h3><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/things-that-affect-willpower-decision-making-2014-11" >11 Surprising Things That Affect Your Willpower And Decision Making</a></strong></p>
<h3>1. Create a quick-hit agenda.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/55d24f05371d22c6178bf1a6-400-300/1-create-a-quick-hit-agenda.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p class="p1">If you've got 30 items on your to-do list and half of those are things that need to happen sometime this week, it's no wonder you feel stuck.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">A better bet is to give yourself some super-short-term goals. Quora user Ravi Mandliya <a href="http://www.quora.com/How-do-I-improve-my-concentration-and-will-power/answer/Ravi-Mandliya">suggests</a> creating a list of things you'd like to finish in the next 45 minutes.</p>
<p class="p1">That forces you to be realistic in thinking about how much you can actually accomplish in a limited time frame, so you don't end up with something vague and intimidating like "write three project reports."</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>2. Work on your most pressing projects first thing in the morning.</h3>
<p><p class="p1">Each day is chock-full of experiences that can sap your willpower, from turning down a coworker's freshly-baked brownies to ignoring the siren call of your overflowing inbox. By the time 3 p.m. hits, it may be hard to muster up the cognitive resources to focus on anything work-related.</p>
<p class="p1">That's why Vince Favilla <a href="http://www.quora.com/How-do-I-improve-my-concentration-and-will-power/answer/Vince-Favilla">says</a>, "You need to work on your most important tasks early in the day, while you still have the focus and willpower to complete them."</p>
<p class="p1">Psychologist Kelly McGonigal <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-willpower/201204/five-temptations-actually-boost-your-willpower">offers another reason</a> why willpower may be highest in the morning: The brain is refreshed by sleep. (That's also why an afternoon nap may work to boost your willpower and productivity.)</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>3. Practice concentrating for long stretches.</h3>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/55d24eec371d22472c8be548-400-300/3-practice-concentrating-for-long-stretches.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p class="p1">Steve Denton <a href="http://www.quora.com/How-do-I-improve-my-concentration-and-will-power/answer/Steve-Denton">recommends</a> playing chess (or a similarly complex game) with challenging opponents to develop your ability to concentrate for extended periods of time.</p>
<p class="p1">In fact, <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/06/speed-chess-changed-my-brain/277151/">educational organizations</a> <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-13140772">across the globe</a> advocate adding chess instruction to school curricula. That's because it helps increase concentration and memory &mdash; skills that can improve performance in other areas of life.&nbsp;</p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/easy-ways-to-improve-concentration-2015-8#/#4-start-an-exercise-routine-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/easy-ways-to-improve-concentration-2015-811 easy ways to boost your willpower and concentrationhttp://www.businessinsider.com/easy-ways-to-improve-concentration-2015-8
Mon, 17 Aug 2015 17:24:00 -0400Shana Lebowitz
<p class="p1"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/55d23e8c371d2277018c04b1-2000-1500/animoto-bi-dng-img_0911.jpg" alt="animoto working hard in the office" data-mce-source="Daniel Goodman / Business Insider" /></p><p>Few things are more frustrating than knowing you need to finish a project and absolutely <em>not</em> being able to focus on it. In these moments, everything &mdash; email, Facebook, tying your shoe &mdash; seems more exciting than the task at hand.</p>
<p class="p2">Fortunately, there are dozens of ways to filter out distractions and improve your ability to concentrate for extended periods of time. To find out what some of these strategies are, we sifted through the Quora thread, "<a href="http://www.quora.com/How-do-I-improve-my-concentration-and-will-power">How do I improve my concentration and willpower?</a>" and highlighted the most practical techniques.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Some of them involve small tweaks (think changing the way you write your to-do list), while others involve a bigger commitment (like a daily meditation practice). All of them will make you more productive in both your professional and personal lives.</p>
<h3 class="p1">&nbsp;</h3><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/things-that-affect-willpower-decision-making-2014-11" >11 Surprising Things That Affect Your Willpower And Decision Making</a></strong></p>
<h3>1. Create a quick-hit agenda.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/55d24f05371d22c6178bf1a6-400-300/1-create-a-quick-hit-agenda.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p class="p1">If you've got 30 items on your to-do list and half of those are things that need to happen sometime this week, it's no wonder you feel stuck.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">A better bet is to give yourself some super-short-term goals. Quora user Ravi Mandliya <a href="http://www.quora.com/How-do-I-improve-my-concentration-and-will-power/answer/Ravi-Mandliya">suggests</a> creating a list of things you'd like to finish in the next 45 minutes.</p>
<p class="p1">That forces you to be realistic in thinking about how much you can actually accomplish in a limited time frame, so you don't end up with something vague and intimidating like "write three project reports."</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>2. Work on your most pressing projects first thing in the morning.</h3>
<p><p class="p1">Each day is chock-full of experiences that can sap your willpower, from turning down a coworker's freshly-baked brownies to ignoring the siren call of your overflowing inbox. By the time 3 p.m. hits, it may be hard to muster up the cognitive resources to focus on anything work-related.</p>
<p class="p1">That's why Vince Favilla <a href="http://www.quora.com/How-do-I-improve-my-concentration-and-will-power/answer/Vince-Favilla">says</a>, "You need to work on your most important tasks early in the day, while you still have the focus and willpower to complete them."</p>
<p class="p1">Psychologist Kelly McGonigal <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-willpower/201204/five-temptations-actually-boost-your-willpower">offers another reason</a> why willpower may be highest in the morning: The brain is refreshed by sleep. (That's also why an afternoon nap may work to boost your willpower and productivity.)</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>3. Practice concentrating for long stretches.</h3>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/55d24eec371d22472c8be548-400-300/3-practice-concentrating-for-long-stretches.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p class="p1">Steve Denton <a href="http://www.quora.com/How-do-I-improve-my-concentration-and-will-power/answer/Steve-Denton">recommends</a> playing chess (or a similarly complex game) with challenging opponents to develop your ability to concentrate for extended periods of time.</p>
<p class="p1">In fact, <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/06/speed-chess-changed-my-brain/277151/">educational organizations</a> <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-13140772">across the globe</a> advocate adding chess instruction to school curricula. That's because it helps increase concentration and memory &mdash; skills that can improve performance in other areas of life.&nbsp;</p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/easy-ways-to-improve-concentration-2015-8#/#4-start-an-exercise-routine-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/health-benefits-of-caffeine-2015-611 health benefits of caffeine, the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the worldhttp://www.businessinsider.com/health-benefits-of-caffeine-2015-6
Sun, 21 Jun 2015 08:00:00 -0400Erin Brodwin and Kevin Loria
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/55845018eab8ea891fc71a0e-1200-924/coffee-drinking-4.jpg" border="0" alt="coffee drinking"></p><p>Still feeling guilty about that second cup of coffee?&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Chances are you shouldn't be.</span></p>
<p>Whether you start each day with a latte or rely on a shot of espresso to get over the midafternoon hump, a healthy, moderate caffeine habit can provide many health benefits.</p>
<p>This doesn't mean you should go guzzling energy drinks or pounding espresso shots. Using too much caffeine or any other stimulant can be <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/buying-pure-powdered-caffeine-off-the-internet-2015-2">dangerous</a>.</p>
<p>In moderation, though, a caffeine habit could be good for you.</p><h3>It boosts our memory.</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4fe8ad6869beddcc75000017-400-300/it-boosts-our-memory.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p dir="ltr"><span>Caffeine has been shown to improve certain types of memory in some (but not all) studies, especially the ability to remember </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3222359"><span>lists of words</span></a><span> and straightforward information. Some research shows that it helps those memories &ldquo;stick&rdquo; in the brain as well, </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24413697"><span>making it easier to recall</span></a><span> that information at a later time.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">One recent study indicates that extroverts get more of a working-memory boost from caffeine than introverts. This may explain why some studies find a more significant effect than others. Stephen Braun, the author of &ldquo;</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Buzz-Science-Lore-Alcohol-Caffeine/dp/0140268456">Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine</a>,<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&rdquo; explains that individual reactions to caffeine vary greatly: while one person might thrive on a high level of caffeine, it'll make another person unable to get anything done.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">This enhancement, however, seems to be strongest </span><a href="http://lifehacker.com/5585840/buzz-author-stephen-braun-on-programming-your-brain-for-caffeine-energy-drinks-and-more">for people who aren&rsquo;t already</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> hooked on caffeine in the first place, and too much caffeine can actually lead to a decrease in performance.</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;</span></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>And improves our mood.</h3>
<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/536bdfcd6da811b36733ed1b-400-300/and-improves-our-mood.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p dir="ltr"><span>As a central nervous system stimulant, caffeine doesn&rsquo;t just boost alertness, it can also improve your mood and is even associated with a reduced risk of depression &mdash; especially when consumed in the form of coffee.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Even though too much of any stimulant can make people anxious and irritable, a mild dose has been shown to boost mood. This is due to the same adenosine-blocking effect that makes you feel alert. </span><a href="http://lifehacker.com/5585840/buzz-author-stephen-braun-on-programming-your-brain-for-caffeine-energy-drinks-and-more">By blocking adenosine&rsquo;s relaxing effects</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">, caffeine lets dopamine and glutamine, another natural stimulant produced by your brain, run wild, making you more alert, less bored, and providing a mood boost.</span></p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0c01f6c8-e342-8add-bbea-07902916cb9e"><span>Interestingly, </span><a href="http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1105943"><span>a number of studies</span></a><span> have </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23871889"><span>found a connection</span></a><span> between caffeine consumption and a reduced risk of depression (and </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8604958"><span>even a lower risk</span></a><span> of suicide). However, </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20359377"><span>at least one</span></a><span> of these studies specifically found this connection with caffeinated coffee but not tea, though </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24071782"><span>others found the same effect</span></a><span> for tea as well.</span></span></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>It wakes us up.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/552d68eaecad04812523faab-400-300/it-wakes-us-up.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p dir="ltr">It&rsquo;s natural to grow increasingly tired throughout the day &mdash; our brains naturally produce more and more of a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-does-coffee-affect-your-brain-2014-8">molecule called adenosine</a> from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep. Scientists think this helps us get to bed at night.</p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1af20cbb-e294-a088-cd16-618ac7ddb811"><span>Caffeine hijacks this natural process by mimicking adenosine in the brain. It latches onto the receptors designed for adenosine, pushing them out of the way. As a result, we&rsquo;re left feeling more alert and awake.</span></span></p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/health-benefits-of-caffeine-2015-6#and-increases-our-attention-span-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/dachau-gate-stolen-2014-11Someone Stole The Gate That Says 'Work Makes You Free' From The First Nazi Concentration Camphttp://www.businessinsider.com/dachau-gate-stolen-2014-11
Mon, 03 Nov 2014 10:31:00 -0500Peter Farquhar
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54579a3eeab8ea387ffd8a43-800-/dachau-gate-1.jpg" border="0" alt="dachau gate" width="800"></p><p>The gate at the Dachau concentration camp is infamous for a couple of reasons.</p>
<p>One is that Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp. The other is its gate, where prisoners were greeted with the words “Arbeit macht frei”, or “Work will make you free”.</p>
<p>Here’s how it looks at the moment:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>Someone stole the "Arbeit macht frei" gate at the Dachau concentration camp <a href="https://twitter.com/BILD">@BILD</a> <a href="http://t.co/ACb7PTrY7R">http://t.co/ACb7PTrY7R</a> <a href="http://t.co/8v7y3mf8Vr">pic.twitter.com/8v7y3mf8Vr</a></p>
— Ken Olsen LATimes (@KenGOlsen) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenGOlsen/status/529016074394562561">November 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p>Somebody has stolen the entire gate, which is made of wrought iron and measures 190cm by 95cm.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, the theft has horrified pretty much everyone, especially Dachau memorial director Gabriele Hammermann who told news agency DPA that gate is “the central symbol for the prisoners’ ordeal”.</p>
<p>The camp was set up in 1933 and more than 40,000 of its 200,000 prisoners died there before it was liberated by US forces in 1945.</p>
<p>Security guards noticed the gate was missing yesterday morning and said the thief would have had to climb over another gate to get to it.</p>
<p>The memorial deliberately decided against surveillance as it as it didn’t want to turn it into a “maximum-security unit”.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dachau-gate-stolen-2014-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/boost-concentration-and-memory-by-going-outside-2014-8This Might Be The Easiest Way To Boost Concentration And Memoryhttp://www.businessinsider.com/boost-concentration-and-memory-by-going-outside-2014-8
Sun, 10 Aug 2014 09:06:00 -0400Lauren F Friedman and Kevin Loria
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5110408becad043b3400000b-800-/6831287468_1d0328c97a_b.jpg" border="0" alt="man, reading, garden, distracted" width="800"></p><p>Mind wandering after a long day at work? Forgetting where your keys are when you finally decide to leave the house on the weekend?</p>
<p>While many things could be going on, one often-overlooked possibility is that you might simply be nature-deprived. Fortunately, there's an easy fix for that, especially in the summertime: Head for the trees.</p>
<h2>Time In Nature Can Boost Short-Term Memory</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">In one study, University of Michigan students were given a brief memory test, then divided into two groups.</span></p>
<p>One group took a walk around an arboretum, and the other half took a walk down a city street. When the participants returned and did the test again, those who had walked among trees did almost <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/01/memory-improved-20-by-nature-walk.php" target="_blank">20% percent better</a> than the first time. The ones who had taken in city sights instead did not consistently improve.</p>
<p>Another similar study on depressed individuals also found that walks in nature boosted working memory much more than walks in urban environments.</p>
<p><em>Source: <a href="http://pss.sagepub.com/content/19/12/1207" target="_blank">Psychological Science, 2008</a>; <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3393816/" target="_blank">Journal of Affective Disorders, 2013</a></em></p>
<h2>Natural Environments Restore Mental Energy</h2>
<p>You know that feeling where your brain seems to be sputtering to a halt? Researchers call that "mental fatigue."</p>
<p>One thing that can help get your mind back into gear is exposing it to restorative environments, which, research has found, generally means the great outdoors. One study found that people's mental energy bounced back even when they just looked at pictures of nature. (Pictures of city scenes had no such effect.)</p>
<p>Studies have also found that natural beauty can <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/psychologists-awesomeness-is-good-for-you-2012-6">elicit feelings of awe</a>, which is one of the surest ways to experience a mental boost.</p>
<p><em>Source: <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900012" target="_blank">Journal of Environmental Psychology, 1995</a>; <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494405000381" target="_blank">Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2005</a>; <a href="http://faculty-gsb.stanford.edu/aaker/pages/documents/TimeandAwe2012_workingpaper.pdf" target="_blank">Psychological Science, 2012</a></em></p>
<h2>A Walk Outside Can Help You Focus</h2>
<p>We know the natural environment is "restorative," and one thing that a walk outside can restore is your waning attention. In one early study, researchers worked to deplete participants' ability to focus. Then some took a walk in nature, some took a walk through the city, and the rest just relaxed. When they returned, the nature group scored the best on a proofreading task. Other studies have found similar results — even seeing a natural scene through a window can help.</p>
<p>The attentional effect of nature is so strong it might help kids with ADHD, who have been found to concentrate better after just 20 minutes in a park. "'Doses of nature' might serve as a safe, inexpensive, widely accessible new tool ... for managing ADHD symptoms," researchers wrote.</p>
<p><em>Source: <a href="http://eab.sagepub.com/content/23/1/3.abstract" target="_blank">Environment &amp; Behavior, 1991</a>; <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900160" target="_blank">Journal of Environmental Psychology, 1995</a> (<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900012" target="_blank">2</a>); <a href="http://jad.sagepub.com/content/12/5/402" target="_blank">Journal of Attention Disorders, 2008</a></em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-if-you-dont-get-enough-sleep-2014-2" >25 Horrible Things That Happen If You Don't Get Enough Sleep</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>DON'T MISS:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/11-reasons-you-should-go-outside-2014-4" >11 Scientifically Proven Reasons You Should Go Outside</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boost-concentration-and-memory-by-going-outside-2014-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/11-reasons-you-should-go-outside-2014-7This Might Be The Easiest Way To Boost Concentration And Memoryhttp://www.businessinsider.com/11-reasons-you-should-go-outside-2014-7
Sun, 06 Jul 2014 19:59:25 -0400Lauren F Friedman and Kevin Loria
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5110408becad043b3400000b-800-/6831287468_1d0328c97a_b.jpg" border="0" alt="man, reading, garden, distracted" width="800" /></p><p>Mind wandering after a long day at work? Forgetting where your keys are when you finally decide to leave the house on the weekend?</p>
<p>While many things could be going on, one often-overlooked possibility is that you might simply be nature-deprived. Fortunately, there's an easy fix for that, especially in the summertime: Head for the trees.</p>
<h2>Time In Nature Can Boost Short-Term Memory</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">In one study, University of Michigan students were given a brief memory test, then divided into two groups.</span></p>
<p>One group took a walk around an arboretum, and the other half took a walk down a city street. When the participants returned and did the test again, those who had walked among trees did almost <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/01/memory-improved-20-by-nature-walk.php" target="_blank">20% percent better</a> than the first time. The ones who had taken in city sights instead did not consistently improve.</p>
<p>Another similar study on depressed individuals also found that walks in nature boosted working memory much more than walks in urban environments.</p>
<p><em>Source: <a href="http://pss.sagepub.com/content/19/12/1207" target="_blank">Psychological Science, 2008</a>; <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3393816/" target="_blank">Journal of Affective Disorders, 2013</a></em></p>
<h2>Natural Environments Restore Mental Energy</h2>
<p>You know that feeling where your brain seems to be sputtering to a halt? Researchers call that "mental fatigue."</p>
<p>One thing that can help get your mind back into gear is exposing it to restorative environments, which, research has found, generally means the great outdoors. One study found that people's mental energy bounced back even when they just looked at pictures of nature. (Pictures of city scenes had no such effect.)</p>
<p>Studies have also found that natural beauty can <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/psychologists-awesomeness-is-good-for-you-2012-6">elicit feelings of awe</a>, which is one of the surest ways to experience a mental boost.</p>
<p><em>Source: <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900012" target="_blank">Journal of Environmental Psychology, 1995</a>; <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494405000381" target="_blank">Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2005</a>; <a href="http://faculty-gsb.stanford.edu/aaker/pages/documents/TimeandAwe2012_workingpaper.pdf" target="_blank">Psychological Science, 2012</a></em></p>
<h2>A Walk Outside Can Help You Focus</h2>
<p>We know the natural environment is "restorative," and one thing that a walk outside can restore is your waning attention. In one early study, researchers worked to deplete participants' ability to focus. Then some took a walk in nature, some took a walk through the city, and the rest just relaxed. When they returned, the nature group scored the best on a proofreading task. Other studies have found similar results &mdash; even seeing a natural scene through a window can help.</p>
<p>The attentional effect of nature is so strong it might help kids with ADHD, who have been found to concentrate better after just 20 minutes in a park. "'Doses of nature' might serve as a safe, inexpensive, widely accessible new tool ... for managing ADHD symptoms," researchers wrote.</p>
<p><em>Source: <a href="http://eab.sagepub.com/content/23/1/3.abstract" target="_blank">Environment &amp; Behavior, 1991</a>; <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900160" target="_blank">Journal of Environmental Psychology, 1995</a> (<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900012" target="_blank">2</a>); <a href="http://jad.sagepub.com/content/12/5/402" target="_blank">Journal of Attention Disorders, 2008</a></em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-if-you-dont-get-enough-sleep-2014-2" >25 Horrible Things That Happen If You Don't Get Enough Sleep</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/11-reasons-you-should-go-outside-2014-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/11-reasons-you-should-go-outside-2014-7This Might Be The Easiest Way To Boost Concentration And Memoryhttp://www.businessinsider.com/11-reasons-you-should-go-outside-2014-7
Thu, 03 Jul 2014 15:02:00 -0400Lauren F Friedman and Kevin Loria
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5110408becad043b3400000b-800-/6831287468_1d0328c97a_b.jpg" border="0" alt="man, reading, garden, distracted" width="800" /></p><p>Mind wandering after a long day at work? Forgetting where your keys are when you finally decide to leave the house on the weekend?</p>
<p>While many things could be going on, one often-overlooked possibility is that you might simply be nature-deprived. Fortunately, there's an easy fix for that, especially in the summertime: Head for the trees.</p>
<h2>Time In Nature Can Boost Short-Term Memory</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">In one study, University of Michigan students were given a brief memory test, then divided into two groups.</span></p>
<p>One group took a walk around an arboretum, and the other half took a walk down a city street. When the participants returned and did the test again, those who had walked among trees did almost <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/01/memory-improved-20-by-nature-walk.php" target="_blank">20% percent better</a> than the first time. The ones who had taken in city sights instead did not consistently improve.</p>
<p>Another similar study on depressed individuals also found that walks in nature boosted working memory much more than walks in urban environments.</p>
<p><em>Source: <a href="http://pss.sagepub.com/content/19/12/1207" target="_blank">Psychological Science, 2008</a>; <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3393816/" target="_blank">Journal of Affective Disorders, 2013</a></em></p>
<h2>Natural Environments Restore Mental Energy</h2>
<p>You know that feeling where your brain seems to be sputtering to a halt? Researchers call that "mental fatigue."</p>
<p>One thing that can help get your mind back into gear is exposing it to restorative environments, which, research has found, generally means the great outdoors. One study found that people's mental energy bounced back even when they just looked at pictures of nature. (Pictures of city scenes had no such effect.)</p>
<p>Studies have also found that natural beauty can <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/psychologists-awesomeness-is-good-for-you-2012-6">elicit feelings of awe</a>, which is one of the surest ways to experience a mental boost.</p>
<p><em>Source: <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900012" target="_blank">Journal of Environmental Psychology, 1995</a>; <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494405000381" target="_blank">Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2005</a>; <a href="http://faculty-gsb.stanford.edu/aaker/pages/documents/TimeandAwe2012_workingpaper.pdf" target="_blank">Psychological Science, 2012</a></em></p>
<h2>A Walk Outside Can Help You Focus</h2>
<p>We know the natural environment is "restorative," and one thing that a walk outside can restore is your waning attention. In one early study, researchers worked to deplete participants' ability to focus. Then some took a walk in nature, some took a walk through the city, and the rest just relaxed. When they returned, the nature group scored the best on a proofreading task. Other studies have found similar results &mdash; even seeing a natural scene through a window can help.</p>
<p>The attentional effect of nature is so strong it might help kids with ADHD, who have been found to concentrate better after just 20 minutes in a park. "'Doses of nature' might serve as a safe, inexpensive, widely accessible new tool ... for managing ADHD symptoms," researchers wrote.</p>
<p><em>Source: <a href="http://eab.sagepub.com/content/23/1/3.abstract" target="_blank">Environment &amp; Behavior, 1991</a>; <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900160" target="_blank">Journal of Environmental Psychology, 1995</a> (<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900012" target="_blank">2</a>); <a href="http://jad.sagepub.com/content/12/5/402" target="_blank">Journal of Attention Disorders, 2008</a></em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-if-you-dont-get-enough-sleep-2014-2" >25 Horrible Things That Happen If You Don't Get Enough Sleep</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/11-reasons-you-should-go-outside-2014-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/fight-workplace-distractions-2014-16 Ways To Fight Workplace Distractionshttp://www.businessinsider.com/fight-workplace-distractions-2014-1
Tue, 21 Jan 2014 14:30:27 -0500Ilya Pozin
<p><span><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/52deba0369beddfa04a3dcf8-480-/office-working-work-busy-focused-huffington-post-office-tour-november-2012-bi-dng.jpg" border="0" alt="office, working, work, busy, focused, huffington post, office tour, november 2012, bi, dng" width="480" />Every day you walk into the office expecting to get everything accomplished on your to-do list. Halfway through the day, however, you find yourself checking your email for the fifth time, looking at your aunt&rsquo;s cat pictures on Facebook, and trying to tune out your coworker&rsquo;s loud conversation about his mother-in-law. You might start the day with great intentions, but your productivity likely didn&rsquo;t live up to your aspirations.</span></p>
<p><span>Honestly, distraction is the No. 1 killer of productivity.&nbsp;</span><a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324339204578173252223022388" target="_blank">According to studies</a><span>, workers are interrupted by distractions roughly every three minutes. Shockingly, it can then take up to 23 minutes to get back to the task at hand &mdash; and the things you&nbsp;</span><em>think</em><span>&nbsp;are helping your productivity might actually be hurting your work.</span></p>
<p><span>Here are some productivity hacks for ridding your work life of all those pesky distractions:</span></p>
<p><strong>Focus on you.</strong><span>&nbsp;Carve out a little quiet time in the mornings before diving into your overflowing inbox. If you start showing up before everyone else gets into the office, the quiet atmosphere can help you focus. With fewer distractions you can focus on what really matters and breeze through your most challenging projects. In fact,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/06/12/the-three-biggest-workplace-distractions/" target="_blank">89% of workers</a><span>&nbsp;are most productive when working alone. Don&rsquo;t be afraid to shut your office door or don noise-canceling headphones for a little peace and quiet. This allows you to center yourself and focus more fully on work.</span></p>
<p><span><strong>Stop multitasking.</strong>&nbsp;</span><span>You could either get one task done well or a bunch of tasks done poorly. Which will you choose? Today, we&rsquo;re living in a multi-screen world and we&rsquo;ve all become multitasking junkies.&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.google.com/think/research-studies/the-new-multi-screen-world-study.html" target="_blank">A recent Google study</a><span>&nbsp;showed 66% of people use smartphones and computers simultaneously, while 90% of those surveyed use electronic devices sequentially throughout the day. Every time you stop a task to quickly check Twitter or answer a text, you&rsquo;re breaking up your concentration. Put your devices on silent and give your full attention to your work for more productive results.</span></p>
<p><span><strong>Kick your email addiction.</strong>&nbsp;</span><span>Obsessive email checks are the drug of choice for most busy professionals. Are you really getting anything done if you stop your work every time another email pops up in your inbox? Schedule specific times during your day to check your email and only check it then. Otherwise, turn off the notifications on your email and focus on your tasks. Your phone still works, so don&rsquo;t worry about missing out on something important.</span></p>
<p><strong>Follow the 80/20 rule.&nbsp;</strong><span>Only 20% of what you do everyday produces 80% of your results. Cut the fat from your workday in order to get the most out of your efforts. For instance, if your to-do list is a mile long, odds are you won&rsquo;t accomplish much at all. Make it manageable and put the most essential tasks at the beginning. This way, you&rsquo;re focusing 100% of your attention on the top 20% of your work that produces results.</span></p>
<p><strong>Make tough choices.&nbsp;</strong><span>If you know you&rsquo;re a sucker for BuzzFeed or Twitter, it&rsquo;s time to say sayonara to the Internet &mdash; at least temporarily. Shut out distractions by being tough and realistic with yourself about your tendencies. This might mean putting locks on your Internet usage and blocking certain sites during working hours. You know what your distraction Achilles' heel is &mdash; whether messaging with friends or looking at baby animals &mdash; so you&rsquo;re the only one who can curtail these distractions during your workday.</span></p>
<p><strong>Skip social media and pick up the phone.&nbsp;</strong><span>Let&rsquo;s be honest, sometimes the quickest route to information is to actually just pick up the phone. The typical employee sends about&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.theemailadmin.com/2011/05/35-interesting-statistics-about-email/" target="_blank">43 emails per day</a><span>&nbsp;and receives a whopping 130 messages. Instead of wading through a never-ending deluge of emails, picking up the phone can be a much faster and more personal way of getting the information you need. Not only will you be building connections with your coworkers, you&rsquo;ll be cutting down on your distraction-filled inbox.</span></p>
<p><span>It can sometimes feel impossible to cut out distractions and get back on track. But productivity is right around the corner if you learn how to say goodbye to distractions and get focused.</span></p>
<h3>More from LinkedIn:</h3>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140120061951-64875646-want-a-promotion-then-don-t-upspeak?trk=tod-posts-post1-psum">Want A Promotion? Then Don't Up-Talk.</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140120174018-123941699-key-to-success-embrace-failure?trk=tod-posts-post1-ptlt"><strong>Why Embracing Failure Is The Key To Success</strong></a></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140120091252-206580-five-key-questions-to-break-old-patterns?trk=tod-posts-post1-ptlt">5 Key Questions To Break Old Patterns</a></strong><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fight-workplace-distractions-2014-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-rocks-back-and-forth-in-his-chair-2013-10Bill Gates Rocks Back And Forth In His Chair When He's Thinkinghttp://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-rocks-back-and-forth-in-his-chair-2013-10
Tue, 22 Oct 2013 17:34:49 -0400Vivian Giang
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5266bca269bedd9f1cab2fb8-480-/bill-gates-microsoft-9.jpg" border="0" alt="bill gates microsoft" width="480" /></p><p><span>Top executives sometimes exhibit peculiar habits.</span></p>
<p>Microsoft's Bill Gates has a habit of <a href="http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/09/walter-isaacson-on-bill-gates-at-harvard">rocking back and forth in a chair whenever he's in deep mental concentration.</a></p>
<p>The more agitated or excited he gets, the harder he rocks. The pace is determined by his interest.</p>
<p>This happened so often during meetings that Microsoft employees started imitating Gates.</p>
<p>A profile piece published in <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1990/06/18/73684/">Fortune magazine in 1990</a>&nbsp;described this scene with Microsoft employees:</p>
<p><span>"As discussions get animated, they hunch forward, prop their elbows on their knees, and start rocking back and forth in their seats, just like Chairman Bill," it reads.</span></p>
<p>An <a href="http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/09/walter-isaacson-on-bill-gates-at-harvard">excerpt of Gates'</a>&nbsp;undergraduate years from author Walter Isaacson's upcoming book mentions Gates' rocking habit several times. Microsoft co-founder <a href="http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/09/walter-isaacson-on-bill-gates-at-harvard">Paul Allen shares his memory</a> of young Gates rocking:</p>
<p>"<span>I can still see him alternately pacing and rocking for long periods before jotting on a yellow legal pad, his fingers stained from a rainbow of felt-tip pens," said Allen. "Once my simulator was in place and he was able to use the PDP-10, Bill moved to a terminal and peered at his legal pad as he rocked."</span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-rocks-back-and-forth-in-his-chair-2013-10#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/gum-is-making-you-eat-more-junk-food-2013-3Gum Ruins Diets By Making Good Food 'Taste Funny'http://www.businessinsider.com/gum-is-making-you-eat-more-junk-food-2013-3
Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:59:00 -0400Rebecka Schumann
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4ffc4f1e6bb3f7f627000018-400-300/subble.jpg" border="0" alt="Bubble Gum" width="400" height="300" /></p><p>Spit out that gum and jump on that treadmill. A new study just debunked the myth that chewing gum can help weight loss, according to the April edition of&nbsp;<a href="http://http//www.foxnews.com/health/2013/03/19/chewing-gum-doesnt-lead-to-weight-loss-study-suggests/" target="_blank">Eating Behaviors journal</a>.</p>
<p>The study found that instead of suppressing appetite, chewing gum tends to induce people to eat more junk food like chips, cookies and candy instead of healthy alternatives.</p>
<p>The study found that instead of suppressing appetite, chewing gum tends to induce people to eat more junk food like chips, cookies and candy instead of healthy alternatives.</p>
<p>Researchers also found that the menthol that gives a minty flavor leads gum-chewers to shun fruits and vegetables since it makes their nutrients &ldquo;taste funny.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Christine Swoboda, a study co-author and doctoral candidate in nutrition at Ohio State University, said the taste is similar to that of drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It tastes bad," said Swoboda, who conducted the experiment with University of Buffalo colleague Jennifer Temple.</p>
<p>In the study, half of the participants played to win oranges and grapes and the others, chips and M&amp;M&rsquo;s, all while chewing Juicy Fruit and Wrigley&rsquo;s Spearmint gum.</p>
<p>The study found that those chewing the mint-flavored gum played the game for a significantly shorter period when rewarded with fruits.</p>
<p>A second experiment, which asked participants to chew gum before every meal and keep a food diary, showed that those who chewed gum before eating not only consumed fewer meals, but also chose foods that were low in nutrition and high in calories.</p>
<p>&ldquo;[People] ate less fruits and vegetables, because in their head, they thought &lsquo;I have to chew gum before every meal&mdash;do I really want a snack of grapefruit?&rsquo; Whereas, they were like, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m so hungry I&rsquo;m going to eat this double cheeseburger and it will taste the same,&rdquo; said Swoboda.</p>
<p>Chewing gum may be bad for your waistline, but a different study released by the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bps.org.uk/news/chewing-gum-helps-you-concentrate-longer" target="_blank">British Psychological Society</a>&nbsp;earlier this month said that chewing gum benefits your ability to concentrate.</p>
<p>The study, which focused on the sugary treats' ability to benefit concentration on audio memory tracks, showed that participants who were chewing gum throughout testing periods during the experiment had faster and more accurate reaction times versus those who were not.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gum-is-making-you-eat-more-junk-food-2013-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/serial-multitasker-worse-at-multitasking-2013-1Serial Multitaskers Are Terrible At Multitaskinghttp://www.businessinsider.com/serial-multitasker-worse-at-multitasking-2013-1
Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:45:00 -0500Nick Collins
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/510146f3eab8ead341000019-400-/girl-multitasking-laptop-tablet-ipad-2.jpg" border="0" alt="girl multitasking laptop tablet ipad" width="400" /></p><p>Workers who boast that they can multitask are actually the worst at doing several things at once and at focusing on single jobs, according to a new study.</p>
<p>Serial multitaskers end juggling two activities at once not because they are good at it but because they are easily distracted and cannot concentrate on the job at hand, researchers said.</p>
<p>Conversely, the people who are the most adept at multitasking are the least likely to do so because they are better at focusing on doing one thing at a time.</p>
<p>The study also found that 70 per cent of people believe they are better than average at multitasking, which is statistically impossible.</p>
<p>Prof David Strayer, senior author of the study, said: "The people who are most likely to multitask harbour the illusion they are better than average at it, when in fact they are no better than average and often worse."</p>
<p>The researchers, from the University of Utah, subjected 310 volunteers to tests and questionnaires designed to measure their actual multitasking ability against their imagined multitasking ability.</p>
<p>They also recorded how likely the participants were to use their mobile phone while driving or use a wide array of electronic media, and personality traits like impulsivity.</p>
<p>People who scored highly on the multitasking test tended not to multitask as much as others because they were better at focusing on completing one job at a time, results showed.</p>
<p>In contrast those who scored poorly at multitasking were more likely to end up doing so because they were more impulsive and easily distracted, and had an inflated sense of their ability to carry out two jobs at once.</p>
<p>"If you have people multitasking a lot, you might come to the conclusion that they are good at multitasking. In fat, the more likely they are to do it, the more likely they are to be bad at it," Prof Strayer said.</p>
<p>"The people who multitask the most tend to be impulsive, sensation-seeking, overconfident of their multitasking abilities, and they tend to be less capable of multitasking."</p>
<p>Overestimating one's own capacity to perform multiple jobs at once could lead to dangerous consequences, the researchers warned.</p>
<p>Prof David Sanbonmatsu, who co-wrote the paper published in the <em>Public Library of Science Journal,</em> said: "What is alarming is that people who talk on cell phones while driving tend to be the people least able to multitask well."</p>
<p><img class="nc_pixel" src="http://pixel.newscred.com/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT1iZjA1NjM5YjZiNDk3ZmM5MGNmNGY0ZTdlMzY2YTMwYyZvd25lcj1hZWE2NjI4NzUzY2RjZGMzMjhkOTkzM2MwZTIwZDU4YyZub25jZT03MmFhZWZlNC0zZmQwLTRlNzQtOGEzMi1kMTkwYzYwYjM1NjMmcHVibGlzaGVyPThjMDBmYmVlNjFkNWJjZjBjNjA5MmQ4YjkyZWJiY2Ex" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/serial-multitasker-worse-at-multitasking-2013-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/most-concentrated-hedge-fund-stocks-2012-1120 Stocks That Are Completely Dominated By Hedge Fundshttp://www.businessinsider.com/most-concentrated-hedge-fund-stocks-2012-11
Wed, 21 Nov 2012 20:11:00 -0500Lucas Kawa
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4ece8d2969bedd0963000000-900-698/sonic-the-hedgehog-macys-85th-annual-thanksgiving-day-parade-nyc-bi-november-24-2011-dng.jpg?maxX=400" border="0" alt="sonic the hedgehog, macy's 85th annual thanksgiving day parade, nyc, bi, november 24 2011, dng" width="400" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/goldman-sachs" class="hidden_link">Goldman Sachs</a> recently released its <em>Hedge Fund Trend Monitor</em>, a massive report detailing the Q3 investment moves made by the world's biggest hedge funds.</p>
<p>The report included a list of companies for which huge shares of their outstanding stocks are owned by hedge funds.</p>
<p>Interestingly, Goldman found that if you had invested in these stocks, you would have beaten the markets.</p>
<p>From the report:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The strategy of buying the 20 most concentrated stocks has a strong track record over more than 10 years. Since 2001, <strong>the strategy has outperformed the market 67% of the time</strong> by an average of 255 bp per quarter (not annualized).</p>
<p>A basket of these stocks returned 10% in Q3 and 15% year-to-date.&nbsp; That compares to 6% and 10%, respectively, for the S&amp;P 500.</p>
<p>We pulled the 20 stocks with the largest hedge fund ownership stakes. All stocks listed have between 17-50% of their outstanding shares owned by hedge funds.</p>
<p>We also included the names of the five hedge funds with the largest stakes.</p><h3>Motorola Solutions</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4e9ddcf869beddf57b00004c-400-300/motorola-solutions.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><strong>Ticker</strong>: <br />MSI</p>
<p><strong>Sector</strong>: <br />Information Technology</p>
<p><strong>% owned by hedge funds</strong>: <br />18%</p>
<p><strong>3Q Return</strong>: <br />+6%</p>
<p><strong>YTD Return</strong>: <br />+16%</p>
<p><strong>Major Owners</strong>:<br />Valueact Holdings: 28.9 mil shares<br />Fir Tree Inc: 5.9 mil shares<br />Iridian Asset Management: 3.5 mil shares<br />Soros Fund Management: 2.9 mil shares<br />Brave Warrior Advisors: 2.2 mil shares</p>
<p><em>Sources: Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg</em></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>BMC Software</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/50098bf369bedd795e000003-400-300/bmc-software.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><strong>Ticker</strong>: <br />BMC</p>
<p><strong>Sector</strong>: <br />Information Technology</p>
<p><strong>% owned by hedge funds</strong>: <br />18%</p>
<p><strong>3Q Return</strong>: <br />-3%</p>
<p><strong>YTD Return</strong>: <br />+19%</p>
<p><strong>Major Owners</strong>:<br />Elliott Management: 12.6 mil shares<br />Glenview Capital: 5.3 mil shares<br />Renaissance Technologies: 3.5 mil shares<br />Corvex Management: 1.8 mil shares<br />D E Shaw &amp; Co: 1.4 mil shares</p>
<p><em>Sources: Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg</em></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Coca-Cola Enterprises </h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/501fedf169bedd9103000004-400-300/coca-cola-enterprises.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><strong>Ticker</strong>: <br />CCE</p>
<p><strong>Sector</strong>: <br />Consumer Staples</p>
<p><strong>% owned by hedge funds</strong>: <br />18%</p>
<p><strong>3Q Return</strong>: <br />+12%</p>
<p><strong>YTD Return</strong>: <br />+17%</p>
<p><strong>Major Owners</strong>:<br />Scout Capital: 7.0 mil shares<br />Adage Capital: 6.4 mil shares<br />Soroban Capital: 6.0 mil shares<br />Jana Partners: 4.8 mil shares<br />Pennant Capital: 4.6 mil shares</p>
<p><em>Sources: Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg</em></p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/most-concentrated-hedge-fund-stocks-2012-11#pricelinecom-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a>